This invention relates in general to air encapsulating cellular material, and more particularly to air encapsulating cellular material in which certain of the cells of such material are interactively coupled together.
Air encapsulating cellular material has recently become popular for packaging fragile articles. Such material includes a sheet which is flexible and substantially impervious to air. A plurality of cells are formed in the material, and such cells are filled with air under pressure. When the material is wrapped around a fragile article, the air pressure in the cells can absorb shock to the article and prevent damage thereto. However, load on an individual one of the cells may cause the pressure within such cell to exceed the ability of the cell material to withstand such pressure. That cell may then rupture, thereby eliminating it as an effective means of protecting the article. In general, the rupture of one cell, or a minor number of cells, does not present a problem, as the remainder of the cells can still perform the desired protective function. There is, of course, a limit to the number of cells which can rupture without substantially reducing the effectiveness of the material in preventing article damage. This number is directly related to the particular application of the material.
Air encapsulated cellular material can also be used in other applications, such as for padding of carpeting or as a bouyant insert for a waterbed mattress such as shown and described in my aforementioned copending U.S. patent applicaton Ser. Nos. 158,642, and 158,639. In such other uses, rupture of even a minor number of the cells may be extremely detrimental.